Loose Change: 12/15/08

By Mary Pilon

dailybeast.com

Winter wonderland!

Personal Finance:
-Sometimes when companies offer cost of living adjustments, they aren’t enough. [20SomethingFinance]
-A review of MoneyAisle, a new site that is an auction place for certificates of deposit and high-yield savings accounts. Wonder if it matches the thrill of bidding on Pez dispensers on eBay. [Moolanomy]
-There’s lots of chatter over going green with holiday spending this year. But here’s the skinny on what it’s actually going to cost to be environmentally-friendly. [SmartMoney]

Investing:
-Are 401(k)s broken? Can they be fixed? The details on what’s wrong and how to repair. [WSJ]
-For those who aren’t feeling zero percent Treasuries, here are some alternative parking places for your shillings. [WiseBread]
-Bernie Madoff made some eggheads feel like dunces. Here’s how he did it and some lessons that everyday investors can learn from the alleged Madoffzi scheme. [WSJ]

Other Lint:
-On giving lottery tickets as a holiday gift. My dad used to do this with my brother all the time. I don’t think anyone ever broke even. [StopBuyingCrap]
-A gentle reminder that the Economist has unleashed their World in 2009 issue. Hours of enlightened reading await! [Economist]
-The world’s most enticing ice skating rinks! [DailyBeast]